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He's no Brownie, but the former FEMA chief had a 'heck of a job' uniting agency

November 29

The man in charge of disaster relief under President George H.W. Bush spoke to students Tuesday on the U.S. Government's experience in the field. Wallace Stickney, Bush Sr.'s director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), led an informal discussion of about 20 students, mostly engineers or members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the group that brought Stickney to campus. During his tenure at FEMA, Stickney signed the first integrated federal emergency response plan and directed response and recovery activities for multiple disasters. "The goal here this evening is to talk about emergency efforts and how we got to where we are," he said in the ASEAN Auditorium. Stickney detailed the history of disaster management in the United States. Some local programs began in the 1930s. Federal programs then began to emerge, including the Federal Insurance Administration, the Fire Protection and Control Administration and the Federal Weather Service. The Office of Civilian Defense started during World War II. "All of this legislation was occasioned by disaster," Stickney said. The Office went through over a dozen name changes before it became FEMA in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter combined the national agencies. During his tenure at FEMA, Stickney said, the agency was only beginning to act as a single agency. "One of challenges with dealing with any sort of public policy is you have to deal with the ineffective parts as well as the effective parts," he said. The first year he served in government, emergency response functioned in a two-pronged system. The first dealt with natural disaster, and the other dealt with response to national emergencies. The second part made up 80 percent of the relief and was totally secret, he said. According to Stickney, there were six locations around the country with highly-equipped communication capabilities. If the United States was in extreme danger, each region would take directors, go into a cave and run the government from there. Every state has its own emergency relief plan in addition to the federal emergency relief plan, and states are most important in organizing relief. "If there is a natural disaster or terrorist activity, the first people that are going to show up are the local fire department," he said. "Washington won't come until much later." The Somerville Fire Department responds to about 12,000 emergencies per year, he said, and local relief systems only ask for help if the situation is beyond their control. "If the event overcomes the resources of a state, that is the point a governor asks the President to declare a natural disaster," he said. He said dealing with the media was also important in disaster relief work. "If you can make people believe that you're doing well, then you're doing well," he said. "Once they think you're not doing well, it's hard to convince them otherwise." Stickney answered questions from students on the assessment of damage after a disaster. After Hurricane Katrina, he said, emergency relief officials failed in many respects. Hospitals in Louisiana knew a large scale emergency was likely but did not prepare their facilities well enough, he said. "Mother Nature is not a terrorist, by any means, but the power of Mother Nature, as we have seen over the past year, is stupendous," he said. "So how do we deal with it? We make plans."

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News

NESCAC teams place well in Division III polls

November 29

With the winter sports seasons now underway, the NESCAC has earned the respect of coaches and the media in the national preseason and early-season rankings. The conference garnered the most respect in the latest Div. III men's hockey poll, as four NESCAC teams find themselves listed among the top 15 teams in the nation. Middlebury (4-0) solidified itself as the No. 1 team in the nation with wins over No. 10 SUNY-Plattsburgh and No. 15 Norwich over the weekend to win the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout. Trinity, which defeated Conn. College in conference action on Sunday to move to 3-1, comes in at No. 9. No. 11 Bowdoin and No. 15 Colby, which picked up weekend wins against Salve Regina and Nichols in the Bowdoin-Colby Face-off Classic, moved to 3-1 and 4-0, respectively. The Panther women's hockey team, also 4-0, remained the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation with a weekend two-game sweep of Hamilton. Bowdoin (2-1) is also in the national top ten, coming in this week at No. 8 despite a 2-1 loss to No. 5 Manhattanville on Saturday. Off the ice and onto the court, the NESCAC has garnered attention in the rankings as well. Bowdoin's dominance of the NESCAC has been well-publicized, as the Polar Bears have earned the No. 3 preseason ranking from D3hoops.com. Wesleyan is also representing the conference at No. 17. The Polar Bears (3-0) headed into Thanksgiving with a win over New England College last Tuesday, while Wesleyan has had a slow start to the season at 1-2. Perennial powerhouse Amherst, after a week of inactivity during the Thanksgiving holiday, is ranked fourth in the nation in men's basketball, behind only Illinois Wesleyan, Wooster and Wittenberg. While the NESCAC men's and women's ice hockey schedules have already begun, conference teams do not meet in basketball until the Dec. 9. Until then, the polls are the best way to measure how teams might fare against one another, and the concentration of league teams among the nation's best means there will be heated competition ahead.

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News

Senior tri-captains close soccer careers with Final Four berth

November 29

When senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan got up in front of her teammates and the three other Final Four opponents at the NCAA banquet last Thursday night, she couldn't help but repeatedly emphasize the importance of team unity that was stressed all season long. Callaghan, along with fellow tri-captains Ariel Samuelson and Lindsay Garmirian, candidly admitted that this season's squad was the most special group they've ever played with. "Everyone accepted whatever role they had completely happily and contributed all they had for the entire season, no matter what their role was," Samuelson said. "Not until I came here did I find a team that I actually liked every single person on," Callaghan added. It was the leadership of the trio, with the help of fellow seniors Lydia Claudio and Cate Meeker, that fostered the sense of cohesion that was a key factor in the team's remarkable success this season. "We're really going to miss them," sophomore midfielder Martha Furtek said of the departing veterans. "They were amazing soccer players, but more importantly, they were great role models and friends." It all started at tryouts, when, after losing seven players from last year's squad, coach Martha Whiting took on many new faces adding five freshman and two sophomore transfers to her roster. Whiting looked to the leadership of her three captains to acclimate the new players to Tufts' brand of soccer and to collegiate life in Medford. "It was difficult for probably a week," recounted sophomore Jessie Wagner, who transferred to Tufts from Bates. "Just because I had to meet everyone, but the [three captains] really made me feel welcomed right away." The team's season could have just as easily gone the other way after its opening day loss to Colby, but Garmirian, Callaghan, and Samuelson kept the team grounded and reassured them that things would turn around. "After Colby we could have freaked out, but we just realized what we had to work on and that we still had potential to be a great team," Garmirian said. In a team-oriented sport such as soccer, Tufts had a huge advantage over most of its opponents because its three captains have been the closest of friends since the first day of freshman year. Callaghan and Garmirian share a wall in the adjacent rooms of their 79 Ossipee Rd. apartment, while Samuelson was at times a virtual fifth housemate over the past two years. "Because we're such good friends, we're always happy, and that reflects on the field," Samuelson said. "Being a cohesive unit starts at the top with the seniors and has reflected down." "When you have so much fun together, you want to spend the most amount of time together," Callaghan added. "And when you're having fun, you naturally want to play better." The three complimented each other on the field, where Callaghan and Samuelson started at forward and Garmirian at left midfield. Callaghan led the team and the league with eight assists to go with her two goals, giving her 12 points on the season. Her two favorite targets, Samuelson and Garmirian, had by far the best seasons of their careers statistically. Samuelson led the team and the conference with 14 goals and 32 points and was named NESCAC Player of the Year for her breakout senior season. Garmirian, also a valuable contributor defensively from her midfield spot, tallied five goals for 10 points. Callaghan finishes her career with a balanced 13 goals and 14 assists for 40 points, with Samuelson tallying 18 goals and four assists for 40 points as well. Garmirian chipped in with eight goals and three assists for 19 points. Samuelson would have had far more goals and points had she not spent the first two years of her college career playing right fullback. The Newton, Mass. native admits that she enjoys the forward position much more but was willing to play defense because that was the spot available for her at the time. "I played defense because Martha made me - just kidding, Martha," Samuelson said. "Junior year, Trombo [Jess Trombly] graduated and Sarah [Callaghan] got injured, which allowed me to move to forward. It took me a year to adjust, but overall I feel more comfortable and happy there." All three have been playing soccer since they were in kindergarten and competed against each other on various club teams throughout high school. Callaghan, a native of Northboro, Mass., played soccer and lacrosse at Algonquin Regional High School but chose to play only soccer upon arriving at Tufts. "Soccer has been the only constant in my life for the past 17 years aside from my family," Callaghan said. "We did really well my freshman year, and I didn't think anything could compare to this team, and I still believe that, so I decided not to try out for lacrosse. I probably wouldn't have made it anyway." For Samuelson, life on the soccer field wasn't always easy. "I was really bad at soccer all through elementary school up until around middle school," she admitted. Come sixth grade, however, Samuelson made a choice that, looking back, drastically changed the course of her life. "In sixth grade, I had to choose between horse gymnastics, where you ride around and do gymnastics on a horse, and soccer," she said. "Luckily I chose soccer, but I cried a lot. I was sad; it was a very tough decision in life." She played soccer, lacrosse, and basketball at Newton North High School and tried out for the lacrosse team at Tufts but didn't make it. "That was certainly a blessing in disguise because I could focus more on soccer," she said. Garmirian, like Samuelson, also struggled on the soccer field early in life, but stuck with it through high school at Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, Mass. "I, too, was really bad at soccer in elementary school, and I almost quit soccer but my friend Whitney's dad made me stay on the team in third grade," Garmirian said. The three uniformly agree that life at Tufts just won't be the same next semester knowing that their Tufts soccer careers are now over. "The saddest part of all is to lose the team," Samuelson said. "I don't know what to keep in shape for anymore." "It's scary thinking about not being on a team that practices every day ever again," Garmirian said. Just because they're not on the team anymore, however, doesn't mean the three won't be an active part of the Tufts soccer scene in the future. "We're going to Disney world next year if they make the Final Four," Samuelson said with a smile. "I'm serious." The three also agree that soccer will be a huge part of their lives in years to come. "We'll keep playing and coaching, and I'm sure it'll be a part of all of our lives, but it'll never be the same," Garmirian said. "I'll probably be playing until forever in some stupid league later on," Samuelson joked. Academically, all three captains have been on the NESCAC All-Academic Team both semesters since they became eligible last year. Samuelson will graduate with a degree in Biology and Biomedical Engineering and is currently applying to medical school, while Callaghan, a Psychology major, and Garmirian, also doubling in Biology and Biomedical Engineering, are undecided about their future plans. "We're going to miss all of the seniors, not just for their roles on the field, but what they brought to the team off the field," Furtek said. "In fact, I don't want anyone else to join the team next year because our captains and seniors are irreplaceable."

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News

Organic overhaul: the greening of Tufts' palate

November 29

McDonald's is offering Fair Trade coffee... huh? Are we talking about the same McDonald's criticized in the film "Supersize Me: and the popular book, "Fast Food Nation?" If you can believe it - yes. Over the last decade, offering environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible foods have become commonplace in both retail and food service. A prime example is the announcement last month that McDonald's will offer Fair Trade organic coffee in 650 of their New England restaurants. And it's not just the golden arches. Other big food industry players such as Kraft, General Mills and Wal-Mart are following suit with their own investments in the organic market. The trend also extends beyond corporate industry to the food service operations at colleges and universities across the country - including Tufts. Thanks to the efforts of students, staff, faculty and Tufts' Dining Services, Tufts has come a long way as an environmental steward through offering sustainable agriculture products - those that are organic, locally grown and/or Fair Trade (Fair Trade is distinguished by an international co-op of farmers who are guaranteed a fair market price for their crop). These sustainable goods bring either ecological or socially pleasing benefits that fit the mission of Tufts' Environmental Policy: to be "responsible stewards of [our] physical environment." As one example of progress, Tufts has been a part of a nation-wide Farm-To-College initiative to bring more local produce to campus in support of our local environment, farmers and economy. In addition, Tufts offers a Fair Trade coffee option in many campus eateries, offers organic options in the dining hall (cereal bar, yogurts, and vegetarian stations), and has an organic grocery section at the campus convenience store, Jumbo Express. The University has even supported humanely-raised animal products by offering free range eggs produced at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. But there is more work to do. To truly eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides, we must decrease the distance traveled by our food and ensure farmers a fair price for their harvest. This is best accomplished by "voting" with your food dollars. In other words, purchasing and supporting the existing sustainable food choices that Tufts currently offers. Also, offer your feedback! The managers at each dining hall and campus eatery respond to the student comment board, so let them know that you appreciate and want more organic, local and Fair Trade options. Lastly, get involved with a student group like the Fair Trade committee of PANGEA (a global awareness and relief organization formed by Tufts students), Tufts Food Awareness Project (TFAP), or the Friedman School's FOOD initiative. Melissa Bailey is a doctoral student in the Agriculture, Food and Environment (AFE) program at the Friedman School. She is also a staff member at the Fletcher School.

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News

Easy instants versus the high maintenance classics

November 29

Instant foods are convenient, especially for busy students without access to a full kitchen. Many instant foods make it easy to prepare just one or two servings, so you don't wind up with tons of leftovers (or end up eating WAY more than you really wanted!). But is oatmeal that comes in a packet and cooks in one minute as nutritious as the stuff you stir on the stovetop? Is the nutritional value of the food you eat proportional to the time it takes to prepare it? Instant foods in general have many additives, such as sugar and sodium. But instant foods are sometimes actually better nutritional choices than the classic versions. Take a look at these five examples and see for yourself.1. Instant brown rice (10 minutes) vs. long-grain brown rice (50 minutes) Traditional brown rice may not be the best thing to make when you're really hungry, since you've got to wait almost an hour for it to finish cooking. On the other hand, rice connoisseurs will tell you that traditionally prepared brown rice is fluffier and less sticky than instant brown rice. Nutritionally, the two are almost identical - except when it comes to fiber. A half-cup serving of instant brown rice provides about the same calories, fat and protein as the classic version, but just half the fiber. The Verdict: Traditional long-grain brown rice. It's hard to argue with more fiber and better texture. But even the classic long-grain brown rice doesn't have tons of fiber, so add veggies to give it a boost.2. Microwave popcorn (3-4 minutes) vs. stovetop popcorn (6-8 minutes) Who knows if it's the crunch, the flavor or the smell, but popcorn is definitely necessary for those late night study sessions and movie nights. Making popcorn the traditional way, on the stovetop, requires oil - and lots of it. If you like to add butter and salt to your crunchy treat, this snack can easily pack more calories, fat and sodium than an entire meal! Microwave popcorn can contain gobs of fat, sodium and calories, too. Fortunately there are tons of great tasting, low-fat varieties out there (even Kettle Corn) to help ease those study cravings.The Verdict: Low-fat microwave popcorn. All major brands offer varieties with the flavor of the buttery stovetop stuff but with much less fat and calories. Orville Redenbacher's even offers mini bags of their Smart Pop popcorn, with exactly enough for one person. 3. Instant oatmeal (1.5 minutes) vs. slow-cooked oats (5 minutes) The strange thing about those little packets of flavored instant oatmeal is that they contain about 1/3 as much oatmeal as a serving of regular slow-cooked oats, yet they have the same number of calories and less fiber. This is because flavored instant oatmeal has lots of added sugar. The Verdict: Slow-cooked oats - the ones in the big cardboard cylinder. The traditional version of this breakfast classic has more fiber and protein - and less sodium and sugar - than the flavored instant kinds. Add fruit and skim milk for a hearty breakfast that will keep you going all morning. If you absolutely cannot spare the time for slow-cooked oats, go for the plain variety. Nutritionally, it's pretty close to the slow-cooked stuff. 4. Canned fruit vs. fresh fruit It's easy to see and feel the textural differences between fresh and canned fruit - but there also are nutritional differences. Fruit that is canned in "heavy syrup" is much higher in calories and sugar than fresh fruit. Canned fruit in its own juice is a better choice than the stuff in sugary syrup, but it still falls short of fresh fruit in the fiber department. The Verdict: Fresh fruit. It's lower in calories, has more fiber and can easily be toted to class for a snack.5. Frozen whole-grain waffles (2 minutes) vs. homemade whole-grain waffles (20-30+ minutes) Making homemade waffles can be quite a process, and you have to own a waffle maker, too. In order to make waffles that turn out golden and fluffy - and don't stick to the waffle maker - a considerable amount of butter or oil needs to go into the batter. If you want to make your waffles using whole-wheat flour, they can turn out a bit on the dense side. (OK, sometimes they're like hockey pucks.) Many frozen whole-grain versions, like Kellogg's, Kashi or Van's, have only 70 to 100 calories per waffle, are low in fat, and high in fiber. And there's nothing puck-like about them!The Verdict: Frozen whole-grain waffles. Top a toasted waffle with yogurt and fruit and you've got a hearty, healthy and easy breakfast in less than five minutes.

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News

Finding Balance | Sarah Wally

November 29

It's about quarter past nine on Thanksgiving evening. I'm circling the dining room table, a dessert in each hand. In my left, a plate overflowing with a sizeable helping of Heath Bar trifle. In my right, a white chocolate raspberry bar and the remnants of a maple sugar cookie. Mind you, at this point in the day, I'm not even hungry. I'm actually feeling uncomfortably full - nearly nauseous. Yet, here I am, going back for my second, third and fourth helping of dessert. It's the same scenario that plays out every holiday - and I'm sure I'm not the only perpetrator. Each time my conscience tries to remind me that I have already eaten far more than my share of pumpkin pie, that relentless holiday mantra fills my head: "But it's Thanksgiving (Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day)!" Before I know it, I'm filling my plate. What drives me to go on day-long food binges during the holidays? Why can't I stop myself - as I do the rest of the year - from gluttonous overeating? Is my willpower simply defenseless against the sweet temptation of Aunt Helen's lemon squares? With the holiday-eating season just beginning, I think it's time I find out. Food, as we all know, is so much more than mere nourishment. It keeps us alive - but it also keeps us happy. Where do you think the term "comfort-food" comes from? And food is particularly important during the holidays. Every family has their own traditional staples. Whether it's Grandma Ruth's pecan pie or Cousin Pat's green bean casserole, the holidays just wouldn't be the same without them. Think back to that first holiday you spent away from home. Maybe you were visiting a friend's family or staying here at Tufts. You missed Uncle Gene's off-color humor that never fails to make everyone at the dinner table slightly uncomfortable, but what you really missed was the food. Even if the food you ate away from home was ten times better than what your own family serves, a piece of you - however small - silently yearned for Mom's tasteless, lumpy gravy. I actually have the opposite problem in my family. The food is too good. My relatives are exceptionally good cooks and are particularly adventurous when it comes to trying new recipes - especially desserts. Each year our holiday table is transformed into a showcase of the decadent pies, cakes and tarts that fill the pages of Bon App?©?©t. From the caramel pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon-pecan crust to the flourless chocolate tort with Kahlua-infused whipped cream, it's every foodie's dream come true. Now here's where I get into trouble. I can't resist the tried-and-true family classics and yet, I'm also drawn to the new offerings that are inevitably flaunted before me. So I have a little of each. And then, I have a lot of each. Suddenly, I'm right back where I started. (Just so we're clear, I'm not exaggerating. I easily ate five servings of dessert on Thanksgiving. Each time I heard a cousin or an aunt "ooh and aah" over so-and-so's cookies, I ate one - or two or three. This has to stop!) I - like many of you - subscribe to the mentality that once I've already gone overboard eating a handful of cookies, I might as well make it two handfuls. I know that it's wrong, unhealthy, and that in 20 minutes I'm going to severely regret that extra piece of pie. But year after year, I continue my wild holiday food spree. Perhaps it's just semantics. After all, "But it's Tuesday!" never garners the same reckless eating cues. But somehow my holiday free-eating-pass manages to extend far beyond the actual day of celebration. Christmas stretches from one day to a few days, and eventually I find myself binging for the entire month of December. And so, short of a brain transplant to change my gluttonous habits (I am, after all, still the same kid who ate all of her Halloween candy on the very first night), maybe I'll start with some slight modifications. I'm going to allow myself one day of gluttony - not 28. Perhaps I could try limiting myself to one of the family classics, rather than eating all of them, and a sampling of the new recipes. After nearly three decades, I'm fairly sure I know what those tried-and-true desserts taste like. Will it work? I'm not sure. It'll be a slippery slope, but at least it'll be a delicious one.

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News

Kirkland finishes seventh flying solo in Hawaii

November 29

The weekend before the Thanksgiving break, the sailing team had its last competition of the 2005 year. Senior sailor Zander Kirkland headed down to the Single Handed Nationals at the University of Hawaii Sailing Center. After 16 tough races against 16 of the top sailors from around the country, Kirkland finished in seventh place. Kirkland originally qualified for the national competition early in October when he finished second in the Single Handed New England Championships in Vermont. "I was stoked out after the first race because I won it by half a leg," Kirkland said. "But things just didn't work out in later races." Kirkland explained that the winds were a little strong for his weight and that he wasn't able to control the wind shifts well. "The regatta didn't go so hot but at least I got to surf on the North Shore and do battle with some humongous waves," Kirkland said. The Single Handed Nationals featured 16 of the top sailors from districts all over the country. The sailors sailed in lasers in the two-day event in a very tight and competitive regatta. According to Kirkland, he was at a disadvantage because coach Ken Legler was unable to accompany him to the race. "It would have been nice to have a coach come," he said. "Tufts didn't provide funding for us to go to nationals. We had to fundraise but the coach couldn't come with me. All the other sailors had coaches and it would have helped a lot." The University started cutting the sailing team's budget a few years ago when Tufts was a national sailing powerhouse. Fortunately, the family of sophomore Katie Greenlee, a member of the team, provided Kirkland with a place to stay during his trip to the Pacific. Kirkland expressed disappointment with the results of this race but said he was still extremely satisfied with the season as a whole. "I am happy with how things turned out," Kirkland said. "It was good sailing even though I didn't do so well. The weather was warm and I got to go to Hawaii." The sailing team has had a very productive fall season. Both the co-ed and the women's teams have qualified for the big regattas coming in the spring. Next semester, some of the toughest competition will come in the fleet racing regattas. The Jumbos are looking for a strong finish in New England's for fleet racing, which would qualify them for Nationals. For now, though, the fall season has come to a close with strong results, tremendous improvement among freshmen, and an increased national ranking as the squad looks towards the spring.

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News

Tufts students get preview of film on peace activists

November 29

The 20 students who attended Tuesday night's screening of excerpts of the unfinished documentary "Encounter Point" got a glimpse into the world of Israeli and Palestinian grassroots peacemakers. Nahanni Rous, manager of educational outreach for Just Vision, the non-profit behind the work, told the students the film is intended to serve as "a conduit between people on the ground doing work and those who want to support them." The violent elements of the Israel-Palestine conflict have received extensive press coverage, Rous said. She said she hopes "Encounter Point" will help convince people that Israeli-Palestinian relations are "not just what's going on in the media, but that there's a grassroots peace movement." The first film excerpt showed a young Palestinian man, Ali, trying to persuade his friends that non-violence is the only way to resolve the conflict over control of the West Bank. When his friend disagreed, Ali cited Gandhi's success and said that violence destroys Palestinians' international support. "Today you must convince the world that you are not [terrorists]," Ali said in the film. Other screened scenes told the story of a pair of Israeli and Palestinian fathers, Tzvika and George. Both of their daughters were murdered, the first's by a suicide bomber and the second's by an Israeli soldier. The Israeli daughter, a 12-year-old, was shot when riding with her father because their car was mistaken for that of a wanted Palestinian. A crowd of Palestinians marched at the daughter's funeral, chanting, "The voice of Christina is saying, 'Don't forget my friends in the name of the Bible and Koran.'" One year after the deaths, the two fathers joined the Bereaved Families Forum, an organization of 500 Israeli and Palestinian families. Rous said the Forum, which has about equal numbers of Israeli and Palestinian participants, makes presentations on and around the West Bank in order to foster communication and understanding between the two groups. "If we who have lost what is most precious to us can meet to resolve the conflict, then everyone else can too," the Israeli father said. To find the stories that filled the screen, Just Vision conducted hundreds of interviews and shot over 200 hours of footage. Interviews that are not in the movie are available on the group's Web site, which categorizes the interviews by their commonalities and provides a timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The organization encourages teachers to use the Web site as a resource. In the question and answer session that followed the screening, first-year Fletcher School student Matan Chorev (LA '05) asked Rous how non-profits like Just Vision hope to appeal to the moderates in Israeli society. "The more people that sign on [to the grassroots peace movement], the less fringe it will seem to people," Rous said. Just Vision "exists to bring attention to these other [fringe] groups," she said. Rous could only show a few excerpts of "Encounter Point," she said, because Just Vision is planning to screen the entire documentary in a few months at a film festival. The event was hosted by the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP), a project of the Institute for Global Leadership that aims to foster productive dialogue about Middle East issues. Chorev helped found the group while he was an undergraduate. The screening was co-sponsored by the Arab Student Association, Friends of Israel, the Political Science Department, and the International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, and Peace and Justice Studies programs. NIMEP Co-Chairman Alex Zerden, a junior, said the documentary was "a very innovative and unique way of exploring conflict resolution" between Israelis and Palestinians.

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News

Got an idea for the next big blockbuster?

November 29

Aaron Wright (LA '02) was a star student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. He was editor-in-chief of the Cardozo Law Review and graduated with the Dean's Merit Scholarship. But after he was finished, the New Jersey native went in a different direction. About two months ago, Wright decided to "do something creative." "I was reading about Wikipedia - the 'wiki' technology - and I found it fascinating, the idea that people could collaborate" he said. "That led me and a buddy of mine, Andrew Gibbs - also a Tufts graduate - to think about creative endeavors. We started with movie-script writing." Wright founded WikiScripts, a Web site that allows users to post their scripts online in a collaborative setting. Users visit www.wikiscripts.org and click on a genre, within which they can post their own script or edit another. "Moving up to the city last year, a lot of people were talking about writing a script, but it takes so much time," Wright said. "It's a 100-plus page document, and people are scared because there are all of these limitations - like the fear of rejection." The Web site's mantra is that there is no risk attached to the process. People can edit scripts without time constraints, logging on during work breaks or while in bed. There are a few problems. Theater people are notoriously dramatic, and script writers are infamously protective of their ideas. "Ego is a huge part of the creative process," Wright said. "There comes a point where if you can't put it aside, you need to know that you can't come to a site like this." A bigger problem is copyright: Placing creative works online can lead to stolen ideas. Wright said that one has to be aware of that possibility prior to posting scripts. "By going on the site, you're admitting your ideas to the community," he said. "Any given script can have about a thousand edits. Who owns it at that point?" Though none of the scripts that have been fine-tuned on the site have currently been sold, Wright hypothesized a possible scenario for splitting the profits: The site would get a share, and then the rest of the money would be divided among everyone who edited the script, based on how many times they edited. "Say, if 'John' made 100 edits out of 1,000, he gets that percentage of the money," Wright said. "We're debating giving the person who thought of the original idea a bonus. It makes sense." Though WikiScripts is Wright's current passion, he was uninvolved in script-writing during his collegiate years. "I didn't do any film stuff at Tufts, but it's the whole idea of community," he said. "I think that just carried over." Wright did quite a bit of Web site design. "I did the Bio 14 Web site, the child development Web sites, and I worked out the Experimental College Web sites," he said. While at Tufts, Wright studied economics, something he said was also important in devising WikiScripts. "You're going in and providing your services," he said. "A lot of people are going in and hammering at one idea - it's the whole point: A crowd is smarter than an individual, because everybody has their own background." Wright has not yet decided whether to pursue WikiScripts as a potential career path or to just keep it as his pet project. "Right now, it's a project, because I have to pay back my law school loan," he said, chuckling. He's currently exploring a new project, WikiMusic. "Say somebody adds a drum track, and then somebody in Idaho adds another music track and then somebody somewhere else puts something else on," he said. "There are a lot of different concepts." Wright was president of Concert Board from Sept. 2001 to May 2002. One of his most memorable moments of college was during his junior year, when the Concert Board brought Guster to campus. "I had to wake them up in the morning, and the lead singer asks me to drive him to his sister's house to meet his nephew for the first time," Wright said. "He introduced me to his nephew the first time I met him, which was the first time he met him!" WikiScripts devotees can thank Tufts for steering Wright away from medicine. "My least favorite class was definitely Chem 2," he said. "It destroyed my dreams of being a doctor." For now, Wright wants WikiScripts will continue to its expansion. "I'm hoping that it [Wiki Scripts] will become more as people start to put more onto it - as it becomes more collaborative," he said.

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News

Oh, the places they will go: ROTC seniors get placements

November 29

As some seniors go to career fairs for finance and others go to fairs for communications, one group of students is headed someplace else entirely after graduation: the U.S. Armed Forces. In the past couple of weeks, students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program have begun to receive their post-graduation assignments. Senior Caroline Kennedy will be going into military intelligence in the Army - her first choice. ROTC participants send their choices and applications to ROTC headquarters for their branch of the military: Army, Navy or Air Force. Marine Corps students go through the Navy ROTC. Kennedy will spend 18 weeks in Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. before her permanent assignment begins. Most ROTC scholarship recipients are required to serve four years on active duty. Students' applications include their superiors' rankings, their performance on physical fitness tests, the ROTC courses they took and the positions they held. All Tufts ROTC students take their classes and participate in the program through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kennedy is the student Battalion Commander for the Army ROTC Paul Revere Battalion at MIT. The ROTC program at Tufts ended after student protests during the Vietnam War. Senior Frances Dixon, a member of the Air Force ROTC program, said superior officers rank the students based on leadership skills, the positions they held and the results of peer evaluations - a process she called "racked and stacked." Air Force students also take the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, similar to the SAT but with added sections for pilot and navigator topics. The test includes questions on spatial reasoning and asks students to draw maps. Dixon took the test in February of her sophomore year and applied for the pilot and navigator programs. Her score qualified her to become a navigator, an eight-year commitment. She applied for a position in personnel, though, and received her first choice last April. She was also assigned her third choice location, RAF Mildenhall which is 70 miles outside of London. "I specified that I wanted to be assigned to a base overseas," she said. Dixon applied for a postponement of her active duty to attend graduate school in community health, and she said she will decide within two weeks whether to accept her assignment. Navy students choose between service warfare, aviation, special operations and submarines. It is also possible to sign up for aircraft carriers - ships that run on nuclear power - but this is a highly selective program, senior Peter Downes said. Downes was assigned to service warfare. Before Spring Break, the Navy ROTC students in each field are ranked and allowed to pick the ship on which they serve. The largest naval bases are located at Norfolk, Va., San Diego, Pearl Harbor and Japan, Downes said, so he will most likely be sent to one of these places. "Basically, when you pick your ship, it is like picking your home port," he said. According to junior Nicholas Schroback, a member of the Marine Corps ROTC program, Marines students do not receive their assignments until after graduation. Students are ranked after a six-month training program and then given assignments.

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News

Another look at withdrawal

November 29

"Cowards cut and run; Marines never do." These were the words of U.S. Representative Jean Schmidt (R-OH) in response to a call by Representative John Murtha (D-PA) for a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Though Schmidt's comments were withdrawn from the House record and were repudiated by her Republican colleagues, they are the most concise articulation to date of the position the Bush administration and its Republican allies have taken on American strategy in Iraq. In an effort to continue the debate that the Bush administration is determined to forestall or silence, the logic behind the argument against "cutting and running" must be seriously reviewed and judged on its merits. There are two serious strands of the argument against withdrawal. The first is popularly known as the "pottery barn" rule. Before the war began, then Secretary of State Colin Powell reportedly told President Bush that, with regard to Iraq, "you break it, you buy it." The United States has a responsibility to the Iraqi people to rebuild Iraq, since the United States invaded and destroyed much of Iraq's political, social, and material infrastructure. This argument appeals to Americans' sense of accountability and moral rectitude. However, American foreign policy should not be about accountability and moral rectitude. American foreign policy should be about promoting American security. The military should not be used to ease our national guilt, or to fulfill our collective humanitarian streak. The second and most legitimate strand of the argument against withdrawal is that leaving Iraq now would harm American security interests. There are two popular causal links between withdrawal and decreased security cited by proponents of the argument. First, American withdrawal will be an admission of defeat and be seen as a victory for radical Islam. But the significance of such a perception is exaggerated. Just as perceived American defeat in Vietnam did not embolden Communists around the world and lead to American defeat in the Cold War, it is difficult to see how the perception of American defeat in Iraq would have any substantial effect on the global war on terror. Arguments that victory would increase the ranks of terrorist organizations ignore the fact that the American military presence in the Middle East since the first Gulf War has been the most effective recruitment tool radical Islamic groups have at their disposal. The second, more tangible causal link drawn between withdrawal and a decline in security assumes that withdrawal would lead to civil war, and that a destabilized Iraq would become a haven for terrorists. These assumptions are faulty. The American presence in Iraq is arguably doing as much to foment civil war in Iraq as our absence would. Forty-five percent of Iraqi citizens believe that American troops are a legitimate target for insurgents, and a group of Iraq's political leaders recently proclaimed that attacks on American troops are not to be considered terrorist action. The sight of American soldiers in Iraq serves as a radicalizing force, encouraging violence. The assumption that an Iraqi civil war would result in a Taliban-like state ignores the very different ethnic and social makeup and histories of the two countries. An Iraqi civil war would more likely result in either three distinct states, or a Sunni-dominated autocracy which would, like the Baathist regime that fell with Saddam Hussein, eschew radical Islam. Unfortunately, no supporter of withdrawal will be given the time to rationally present the case for ending America's military commitment to Iraq. Accusations of cowardice and patriotically meaningless verbal ejaculation will inevitably drown out the voice of reason.

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News

Keith Barry | Blight on the Hill

November 29

I know I can come across pretty angry in print, but I assure you that I'm a lovable guy who just has a few easily rectifiable gripes. For example, I can't stand those shirts that every single team and group fund-raiser makes. Not only does the idea of group T-shirts kind of scare me as somewhat cultish, and not only do I think they're a waste of money that could be put toward the actual fundraiser, but very often the shirt-writers try to be clever and suggestive and end up failing miserably. I'm sure you've seen some girl walking around campus with some slogan like, "Tufts Intramural Croquet - We love BALLS and STICKS!" emblazoned across her chest. Real classy. It may have been clever in 5th grade. In fact, it may have moved you to the head folding chair at the lunch table. But now, I bet the people who come up with those slogans still find Adam Sandler funny. Speaking of things that were cool in 5th grade, I remember when my science teacher, Mrs. Correa, bought our school's first Internet-connected computer into class. In glorious 14.4k dial up, we waited for an image of a volcano to appear on the Packard Bell monitor. At an age where the whole world of "science" could still fit inside a single 45 minute class, I was amazed. After about eight more years of Internet use, I was sure that when I got to college I'd be able to do everything online. My mother was already ordering groceries from Peapod, and my father had already noticed suspicious charges from Thailand on his credit card statement, so surely a college Web site would allow me to look up my syllabus and my housing lottery number at one convenient portal. Then I got to Tufts. Now, I'm not an engineer, but I am still flabbergasted that there are certain sites that students must visit that are wholly inaccessible from any other place on the http://www.tufts.edu site. For example, when I had to complete my degree sheet, I searched and searched for the elusive "WebCenter" on the Tufts site. I got to something that claimed to be WebCenter, but it had to have been an impostor, as a link to a degree sheet was more elusive than an ivory-billed woodpecker. I gave up and Googled "Tufts AND degree sheet." I found it on the first try. Turns out that I was going to the wrong WebCenter. I had typed in http://www.tufts.webcenter.emerald.sis.online.partypoker.com and entered in my student ID number, when I was supposed to have gone to http://ase.tufts.aseonline.webcenter.keithdance.com and entered in my mother's maiden name. Why on earth isn't there a simple link on the http://www.tufts.edu homepage called something like, "Stuff that every student needs to use but can never find because it's on any one or a combination of three sites, hidden away on a separate server with no links to it ANYWHERE?" The resulting page would be simple: links to SIS, Blackboard, and WebCenter. No menus from Kee Kar Lau, no directions to the Vet School, no fun facts about Jean Mayer's shoe size - just a plain, user-friendly Web page with the three things we need most. Blackboard is another issue. Either make it mandatory, or scrap it entirely. It's of no use to me when three of my classes don't have a single course document online, while another has every Power Point ever shown in class, a lively online discussion forum and pictures of my professor's kids. If not every professor buys in to it, then the entire idea suffers. I don't know if there needs to be a faculty meeting about it or what, but I'd love to be able to see all my grades and all my syllabi on one site. At least we're getting DARS, and I don't think Health Services needs to vaccinate us against it. Automated degree audits online will be a real asset to future freshmen, who won't end up cursing themselves four years later for not realizing they missed the chance to take a really enriching elective that wouldn't have hurt their GPA if they got a bad grade. Perhaps the Tufts computing folks just need a little bit of motivation. I propose they all get T-shirts made up. Across the chest, they'll all say "Tufts.edu makes my disk hard!" Now that's classy.

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News

Shaping solidarity

November 29

As Asian American Month comes to a close, we hope that the Tufts community has gained greater awareness of issues facing the Asian American community. The issue of unity within the community is a topic we, as co-presidents of Asian Community at Tufts (ACT), would like to address. Upon inviting a friend to the Asian American Month rally held in mid-November, I received the response, "Dammit, stop trying to get me to come to all these Asian events!" Previously pressed on her reluctance to participate, she had continuously offered the same line of reasoning - "I never asked to be Asian. I don't feel Asian. And I don't identify as Asian." When again asked why, she said, "I don't want to be a doctor. I don't play the violin. I'm not good at math. You know, I don't even like Asian food." Ironically, the very purpose of the rally was to raise awareness of the ability to assert one's identity apart from these stereotypes. Fear of association with these stereotypes instead resulted in adamant refusals rather than support. Why do such people, despite having an obvious claim to this identity feel excluded from it? Why are Asian Americans forced into these limited perceptions of what an "Asian American" is? I am not good at math either, nor am I pre-med. "Thank you, come again" is not something I regularly say. I am not a karate expert, computer-savvy, or nerdy. Or well, I'd like to think I'm not nerdy anyway. Few of my Asian American friends fit these descriptions either. Why is it then that all the Asian American faces we see in the media today are those of geeky kids, Bruce Lee's, Charlie's Angels', or Chinese food delivery boys? Is this who we are and all there is to us? Is this what defines us as Asian American? Perpetuation of images like these prevents us from asserting our identities - our real complex, three-dimensional personalities. Most of us have dual Asian and American identities and are the products of both worlds. We would not be who we are if both these aspects had not, combined together, influenced our values, our habits and our perspectives. We are truly the rich and flavorful blend of Asian American. Forced to separate these, we rarely choose the constructed "Asian" identity but reject it in disgust, having been given nothing but negative and limiting stereotypes to grow up with. If we are to claim and empower the identity of "Asian American" for ourselves today, we must embrace it, not run away from it. Running away from fighting stereotypes has even more harmful effects. Allowing ourselves to be caricatured and de-humanized into two-dimensional characters empowers others to treat us as such. From the brutal murder of a Chinese-American beaten to death while being called "Jap," to the police shooting of a Korean American alleged to be doing some sort of exotic and dangerous martial arts because he was holding a rake, to the acts of hate and fear directed toward the Muslim and South Asian Communities since Sept. 11, 2001 to the stabbing of a 16-year-old Vietnamese American from Medford last year in a racial brawl... the litany of hate crimes committed against Asian Americans stretches on and on. If you don't believe it still happens today, I could slap you with a list of incidents within the Boston area in the past decade. Even at Tufts there may be students who think, "But I am Asian. Not Asian American," or "Maybe I do want to be a doctor. Maybe I do like Asian food. How does this apply to me?" To this we say, it doesn't matter. Put these differences aside. Even if you see them, there is a world out there that doesn't. And we must all stand together, unified, if we are to raise our voice. Because let me tell you something. The chance of having "Konnichiwa, baby! Me love you long time" yelled down the street at you or of having a random stranger call you "chink" or "dothead" and assault you, are just as likely whether you call yourself Asian or American. An attack on one person is an attack on the entire community. Your true ethnicity or national origin may be immaterial to the person throwing out the racist comment. This is why we all need to pull together as Asian Americans and Asians in America. If we don't stand up for ourselves, who will? Our history within this country is over 150 years old, and we are as much a part of the United States as any other ethnicity. Our voices must be heard. Our diverse community includes East, Pacific Islander, South and Southeast Asian Americans. Putting our similarities ahead of our differences would allow us to become a stronger force and power. We need to demand our place within the United States and assert an identity of Asian American, or else be continuously treated like foreigners. How often have you been asked: "Where are you from? What is your nationality?" Well, I'm from New Jersey and I am American, and I refuse to answer anything else. The power of each of your voices makes a difference. In strengthening the bonds of our own community, we can begin to reach out to other communities as well. Asian Community at Tufts and the Pan African Alliance, for example, have taken such a step recently to bridge the gap of non-interaction between our communities. We have acknowledged that we can support each other through our commonalities and that by standing together, we can collectively be stronger and counter issues such as racism and stereotypes that affect all communities of color. Without a voice, we are powerless to defend ourselves, powerless to defend our community, and powerless even to shape our own identities in the face of society. We have the potential to be an Asian American community with a strong and powerful voice. And so we challenge you: take a stand, and be a voice...together.

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News

Book Review | Put your feet up but 'Don't get too comfortable'

November 29

In today's ADD-addled society, readers often find it excruciating to have to sit through an entire novel. Most people want their books to be like their TV news: quick sound bites of bright images and funny catchphrases that aren't too difficult to digest in one sitting. Luckily for even the most extreme instant gratification-seekers, David Rakoff has just released his second book, "Don't Get Too Comfortable," a rather slim volume of engaging and quick-moving essays. (Literature purists, don't fret: the fast food size and format of the book are no reflection on the nutritional value of its content.) It's tempting to compare the author to another famous contemporary David who writes humorous collections of essays, but Rakoff is no Sedaris. While Rakoff's autobiographical first book, "Fraud," skirted the territory of his NPR colleague, "Don't Get Too Comfortable" is more interested in slices of life (albeit a somewhat uncommon life: how many people actually fly Hooters Air?) and American society at large. One thing the two writers do share is their sense of humor, which is, in both cases, smart, subversive and usually surprising. Rakoff's humor often comes not from the actual situation he is describing, but from his own absurdity. Though each piece is ostensibly about a different specific event or idea, Rakoff allows himself lots of digressions. In an essay about crafting ("Martha, My Dear"), he takes a break to offer an exultant parenthetical apostrophe to his own beloved crafting supplies: "Glorious, glorious polyurethane! To your gorgeous fumes, a woozy hymn with half the words missing!" For the most part, Rakoff's pieces are as light and effervescent as a spray of polyurethane: the topics covered in "Don't Get Too Comfortable" include gourmet food trends, a soft-core video shoot, Parisian fashion shows, plastic surgery, and the "Today" show. Each essay mixes varying degrees of mockery (often directed at Rakoff himself) with a sort of humanitarian optimism, a formula that keeps the stories from being either too mean or too frivolous. "What Is the Sound of One Hand Shopping?," for example, lambastes the posturing of the bourgeoisie who spend money on rare sea salt or order special-delivery ice cubes made from the water of a Scottish river, but it does so with a certain degree of self-implication. The theme of guilty indulgence continues in the next essay, "Sesi??® ?rivada," in which Rakoff expresses his self-disgust as he allows himself to be waited on hand and foot: "I am suffused with well-being and just as quickly sickened with myself. Mine are the tears of the Walrus, bemoaning the wholesale carnage of his little oyster friends as he scoops another bivalve into his voracious, sucking maw." The only time Rakoff actually attacks any specific person is in retaliation. "I Can't Get It For You Wholesale" has Rakoff brutally slaying fashion designer Karl Lagerfield, who had asked him, "What can you write that hasn't been written already?" In Rakoff's defense, Lagerfield should have realized by now that insulting the writer taking notes about you and your show is as bad an idea as insulting your waiter. Although most of the pieces are about Rakoff embarking on quirky mini-adventures, a few are political and even poignant. "Love It or Leave It," for example, has the newly-naturalized Rakoff telling the story of his and his friends' anxiousness on November 2, 2004 as they frantically phoned each other, preparing themselves for a Kerry victory. Naturally, liberals will find his recount of the night especially bittersweet, but any reader can get a nonpartisan thrill out of the elegance of Rakoff's prose: "We are contacting one another the way my immediate family obsessively did in the final days of my sister's first pregnancy leading up to the birth of my oldest nephew. We are trying to bear witness for one another in these last few moments of the never-to-be-returned-to time of Before." The sophistication of Rakoff's writing works best when he contrasts his high style with more lowbrow elements. "Don't Get Too Comfortable" is filled to the brim with pop culture references; on a random two-page spread, Rakoff mentions the films "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Reds," the comedian Lenny Bruce, and the novel "Catcher in the Rye." Even Rakoff can't keep up with his own cleverness; after one particularly exhausting stint in a fashion show audience, he loses all his capacity for aesthetic criticism: "All my fancy education and artfully crafted cant can't help me now. I am feeling linear and literal and must not be mentally taxed with anything more difficult than the sledgehammer subtle symbolism of, say, a butterfly landing on a coffin. Where was I? Oh, that's right: I like pretty things." Fortunately for the reader, there is no such feeling of artistic oppression after finishing "Don't Get Too Comfortable," thanks to Rakoff's effortless blending of sophisticated style and accessible subject matter. Its essays, while intellectually engaging, never overwhelm the reader who is just looking for a quick diversion.

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News

Julie Schindall | Making the Connections

November 29

My parents are arriving in Geneva this afternoon, and tomorrow I am responsible for providing them with an American Thanksgiving dinner, Swiss style. Even for a dedicated foodie like myself, this is something of a tall order. How to reconcile the various gastronomic traditions into one coherent meal? Roughly thirty-six hours before game time, I still can't quite figure out how to provide turkey and cranberries to my health-conscious parents in a country that subsists off of cheese and chocolate. Let me just say right off that I lost fifteen pounds in my first four weeks in Geneva. Yes, I have discovered the ultimate Swiss diet, and I will tell you my secret free of charge. There are two parts: a) food in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (including Geneva) tastes terrible; and b) food in Switzerland is prohibitively expensive, so expensive that I simply stopped consuming it. Switzerland perhaps does not have the reputation for fine cuisine like France or Italy, but it is at the crossroads of all of Europe, which would ostensibly make this the prime spot to experience the best of all European cuisines. Furthermore, the Swiss are known for their exacting nature and their dedication to natural products. The manual for my study abroad program advised at the top of the "clothing" section: "Do not bring tight clothing. You will gain weight in Switzerland." Yet when I made my first foray into the MM Migros in Petit Lancy (a large supermarket chain in a suburb of Geneva), I was confronted with tasteless croissants for about $2 and two chicken breasts going for around $15. The bananas were brown, the tomatoes were green, and potatoes were black. My mother had raised me to carefully inspect and ingest my vegetables and here I was surrounded by a cornucopia of offerings flown in from international locations - all about two weeks too late. Attempting to stave off a panic attack in the produce aisle, I turned to the left and encountered a different kind of shock: The dairy section, which accounted for about half of the entire store. You know all those cows with bells I keep talking about? They're not just for decoration. Those cows get milked, and they bless us here in Switzerland with fabulous, fattening dairy products. Simply put, Swiss yogurt is one of the top ten reasons I love Switzerland. I've tried them all, from the sweet simplicity of vanilla with chocolate flakes to the custardy joys of my all-time favorite, apricot Quark. From prune mu??¬i (Heidi brand only, I don't mess around) to my daily lunch of the Slimline fat-free apricot yogurt drink, my gastronomic pleasures are simple and pure. Full-fat to non-fat, flavored to plain, I can confidently assert that my bones are stronger thanks to Swiss yogurt. Now, other Swiss dairy products are quite delightful as well. Think about it, Switzerland has an entire cheese named after it. The two most iconic Swiss national dishes, fondue and raclette, consist of pots of bubbling hot cheese. Milk, eggs, and, of course, chocolate (I have seen mecca, yes I have, and it's called the Lindt chocolate factory) are also quite fine. But I digress. The food of the Suisse Romandes is still vile, and terribly overpriced. It is universally agreed upon in Geneva that it is impossible to get a good loaf of bread. Eating out will cost you a fortune and the majority of places offer pizza or kebab. On my weekly angst-filled forays to the supermarket, I often ponder the food culture of this diverse town. After three months of staring despondently at the Migros fruit bin, I believe I worked out a theoretical understanding of how people eat in Geneva. In Geneva, we have three main dietary groups. Group A: bankers. Members of Group A eat at the city's fine restaurants, putting the 200 Swiss franc bill on their UBS account. Group B: international organization/non-governmental organization workers. Since this group is pretty much entirely of British origin, they survive happily on pasta and curry. Finally, Group C: students. For their dietary habits, I have one word: kebab. Thus for all those columns devoted to globalization in Geneva, in terms of food this city is stuck in a terrible time warp. While Switzerland has one of Europe's highest percentages of asylum seekers, and holds in its banks' coffers much of the world's money, here in Geneva you can't separate the cheese from the cow - or find a ripe tomato. Tomorrow, then, for Thanksgiving, I've decided to ditch the attempt to integrate all groups and simply go with what the Swiss do best. What to offer my health-food conscious parents in a country of such varied gastronomic experiences? The solution stands clear: yogurt, all the way, baby. I'm milking those cows for all they're worth.

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News

Pom in Prague | Dave Pomerantz

November 29

Wenceslas Square has a split-personality problem. During the day, this Prague landmark is a bustling, 750-meter-long boulevard that stretches from the National Museum to Old Town. Upscale clothing stores and four-star hotels line the sides of the street as tourists gawk and locals jet around the commercial center of the city. The inner portion of the street is dotted with statues and sculptures, culminating in the big dog himself: Saint Wenceslas on horseback, raising a flag and looking over Prague with a steely glare. The square is remembered as the birthplace of contemporary Czech democracy. Over one million people gathered there in November 1989 to protest the Communist regime and herald in a new era. This is the side of Wenceslas Square you'll read about in the guidebooks. This is Dr. Jekyll. At night, Mr. Hyde comes out to play. And by Mr. Hyde, I mean that guy who sneaks up behind you and offers you a hooker, off of whose breasts you may elect to snort cocaine - which he is conveniently selling as well. All of a sudden, you no longer see all the pretty sculptures and shops. Instead, the street corners are lit up by neon casinos and strip clubs. Instead of mannequins modeling luxurious clothes, you see actual live girls sitting in the windows, wearing bikinis and fighting off boredom. Men with fliers jump out at you like the aliens in an arcade shooting game, offering sex and drugs. As my friend Jesse said when he visited from Florence, "Evil lurks everywhere." In a city rife with contradictions, Wenceslas Square is my personal favorite. It offers you all the best and worst of Prague, and to see either, you simply have to wait for the sun to rise or set. Since most guidebooks can tell you about some of the attractions Wenceslas offers during the daytime, here are some things to try if you ever find yourself there after sunset. Or rather, here are some things not to try - it all depends on your list of priorities, and whether the well-being of your bank account and body are at the top of that list. The following list goes in order from cheapest to most expensive, and from least-to most-likely to result in your own death, on a scale of one to 10. One means you'll be fine; 10 means you should write out your will. Mom, stop reading...wait on it...now. 1. Mess with the guys trying to convince you to hire a hooker/buy drugs/go to their strip club. This is incredibly fun. My friends and I have developed a little game. Stand in the middle of the sidewalk and scream, "All I want to do is see a nice pair of breasts! And I want to do it while I'm high!" You'll cause a veritable stampede. Another popular choice is to engage in logical dialogue with these salesmen. For instance, a guy says, "Come to this bar and I'll give you five free beers for just 300 crowns." You say, "Right. But they're not actually free. I mean, I'm paying 300 crowns. How are they free beers?" Guy gives you puzzled look. Cost: Free. Danger to your health: One. 2. Eat a fried cheese sandwich. They're sold at about a dozen little red Coca-Cola stands throughout the square. Gooey mozzarella cheese is deep-fried and put on a bun. This is the greatest culinary feat in the history of food, and its scrumptelescentness is only magnified when you're drunk. Cost: approximately $1.40. Danger to your health: Three. That rating may seem high, but I'm pretty sure each of these puppies brings you one year closer to a heart attack. 3. Visit a strip club, brothel or casino. The strip clubs are actually a good deal. For a $15 cover, you get five drinks and can watch Czech and Slovak girls gyrating all night. I can't speak to the brothels, as I haven't been inside one yet (I swear). As for the casinos, I loathe them. You think you're not doing so bad playing $4 hands at the blackjack table, and before you know it, you've lost $200 and are offering the money changer your left kidney as collateral. Cost: $15 to get in the strip club, $40 for a lap dance, $100 if you pay for a half-hour of sex, and an untold amount at the casino. Plus your dignity. Danger to your health: Seven. Think about syphilis. 4. The "Can't Say No" game. This has not been attempted by anyone I know. The idea is that for one night, you may not turn down anything anybody offers you. Someone offers you crack? Accept it. A shot of red bull and absinthe spiked with roofies and ecstasy? Accept. Sex with a male, female or animal(s)? Accept it with a smile. The goal is to survive to sunrise. I've heard a range of possible consequences. Depending on the story, you could end up in a bathtub of ice without your kidneys, or lying on the street naked, wallet-less and covered in ketchup. I have heard of only one person who ever successfully tried the "Can't Say No" game, and the source is dubious. Supposedly, a friend of a friend of a friend made it to morning. He ended up leaping through the closed, glass window of his hospital room and later shooting up heroin under the Charles Bridge with a bunch of bums. Cost: Forget it. Your bank account's the last of your worries. Danger to your health: Eleventy-billion google. Godspeed.

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News

How To... | ... De-stress yourself before finals begin

November 29

As the semester comes to a close, you can almost envision that light at the end of the tunnel commonly known as "Winter Break." But before you pack up your skis and head out on vacation, you must overcome the ultimate challenge: finals. This time in the semester is stressful for everyone, whether your finals take the form of papers or exams. But what is it about finals that causes you to anticipate the worst-case scenarios? What if your computer dies and you forget to save your work? What if you don't know any of the answers to the questions on the exam? Or what if you oversleep and show up to the test one hour too late, still wearing your pajamas? Wish you could snap your fingers and make all your worries just disappear? Not so fast. The truth is that a certain amount of stress is actually good for you. Stress produces the fight-or-flight response, which can work to your benefit if the anxiety helps to get you moving and working in a more productive manner. On the flip side, too much stress can be debilitating and ultimately hinder your productivity. The key is to make stress work for you rather than against you. Allowing yourself to take mini breaks is the best way to achieve this balance. When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, it is important to step back from the situation and allow yourself to focus on something un-related to school for a short period of time. The following de-stress techniques will help give your mind a short break. When you return to your work, you will feel rested and relaxed and you will be able to focus on the material you are studying. Just take it one subject at a time and before you know it, finals will be over and your only stress will be deciding how to spend your Winter Break. 7 Ways to De-Stress1. Exercise. You might want to try yoga, which incorporates many relaxation techniques into one class - or perhaps walking or jogging is more your style. Do anything that gets your blood flowing.2. Meditate or practice deep breathing.3. Take an hour break to go check out an event around town. (See the Balance calendar.)4. Instead of ordering pizza delivery, take a study break and cook yourself dinner.5. Call an old friend.6. Watch a performance at the Somerville Theater.7. Listen to music. Jazz and classical are especially soothing.

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News

Get Your Motor Running...

November 29

Finally! It has taken a few months, but you have finally figured out how to fit exercise into your busy schedule and now it is a part of your daily routine. Winter break, however, is fast approaching. Without Cousens Gym in your backyard, are you going to ditch your workout routine for a cozy spot on your family's sofa? Don't even think about it. With a little planning and creativity, you will be able to keep up your workout routine over break. Don't abandon your good habitsUndergraduate life does not come with many luxuries. While on campus, walking becomes a necessary evil for many. Just because you are headed somewhere for break where you will have unlimited access to a car does not mean you have to use it. Believe it or not, walking is still an option! Think of running an errand for your parents as a chance to fit in a workout. Walk or jog to the post office or grocery store. Bring a friend, a parent, or the family pet along to make it more fun. Every step counts toward your accumulation of daily activity.Get out and enjoy the seasonWinter activities offer a great way to combine exercise with loads of fun! Look up your local ice skating rink or ski resort and explore their options - skating, skiing (downhill and cross country), snowboarding, and snowshoeing. Not only will you have a great time, but you'll also burn a surprising amount of calories (downhill skiing expends roughly 350-450 calories per hour, depending on intensity). The only downside to this option is cost; resorts are often pricey. So if money is an issue, consider sledding. All you need is a snowy hill and a $5 plastic sled. Though you won't expend many calories zooming down the hill, the walk back to the top will certainly count.Dust off those old workout videosYou know the ones I am talking about: Jane Fonda and friends decked out in leotards with bad '80s music playing in the background. These videos have been sitting on your family's shelf collecting dust for as long as you can remember. Try them out! These tapes offer a cheap and effective workout and all you need is a television (leotards are optional!). The hair may have changed, but the principles of exercise have not.Check out your local fitness centerWhile it may not be as familiar as Tufts' facilities, your hometown is likely equipped with some type of fitness center. And although it might be too expensive to sign up for the whole month, almost every facility will offer some type of promotional pass to potential customers. Take advantage of these free trial passes while you're home! After the trial period has expired, see if short-term (day or week) passes are available for the remainder of your break. After all, you really only need a gym two days per week. The rest of the week, rough it. Cardiovascular activities can be done almost anywhere.While winter break provides a much needed vacation from classes and homework - you don't need to take time off from physical activity! Use some of your newfound free time to explore new interests and expand upon old ones. Who knows, you may return to Tufts more fit than when you left.Mary Kennedy is a graduate student in Nutrition Communication at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BS in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Boston University and is certified as a Health and Fitness Instructor through the American College of Sports Medicine.

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News

Loss after loss, Raptors good at being bad

November 29

With 15 games under their belt and only one win to show for it, the Toronto Raptors could still contend for a title: worst team in NBA history. On pace for just five and a half wins, the Raptors are well on their way to challenging the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers' dubious record. The 76ers won nine games in that season, a record that has stood for over 30 years. Despite its struggles, Toronto almost knocked off the Dallas Mavericks, one of the best teams in the league, on Monday night. With 1:42 left in the game, the Raptors led 89-83. Yet, as they have done all season, the Raptors found a way to lose, dropping to 1-14 on the season. With 1:42 left, Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki drilled the first of two three-pointers to bring the Mavs even with the Raptors. Then, after Toronto's Matt Bonner hit a shot to tie the game with two seconds left, Dallas inbounded the ball to Jason Terry who streaked into the lane and hit a runner over Toronto's Chris Bosh to win the game and save Dallas some embarrassment. Instead, it was the Raptors who went home embarrassed. The Raptors dropped their first nine contests of the season before ending the drought with a surprising 107-94 win over the Miami Heat. Raptors fans had to expect a rough season when the team dropped a home exhibition game to Maccabi Tel Aviv, the first win for Tel Aviv against an NBA team in 27 years. The embarrassment continued when the Raptors dropped their third game of the season to the Detroit Pistons by 33 points. The Raptors have had 10 different players appear in the starting lineup as they search for an answer. Aside from Bosh, the team's star, and Mike James, no Raptor has started every game. Jalen Rose had started in the team's first 14, but Coach Sam Mitchell benched him for the Mavericks game because of his poor play of late. Rose, who the team hoped would help Bosh fill the scoring void left by the departure of Vince Carter last season, has struggled all year. The veteran is shooting just 34.3 percent from the floor and scoring 11.6 points per game. The only thing saving the Raptors from a demotion to the NBDL has been the play of Bosh and James. James has manned the point guard spot all year and provided some offense for the Toronto, pitching in 16.9 points per game. Bosh, however, is the team's go-to-guy. In his third season, he is blossoming, scoring 21.2 points a game and averaging 10.1 rebounds. Bosh is another star in a draft class that included LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Kirk Hinrich. His play has kept the Raptors from being blown out night after night. The Raptors have actually been within eight points of winning in nine of their 14 losses, but as bad teams do, they have found a way to lose each time. If the Raptors keep losing at this prodigious pace, 73 losses could be well in reach. Another team who appeared destined earlier in the season to follow the fate of the 1972-1973 76ers is the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks lost their first nine of the season before inexplicably pulling off a two-game win streak. On Nov. 23, they pulled off their first victory of the season, a 120-117 triumph over the Boston Celtics. Two days later, they somehow managed to beat the Indiana Pacers on the road. The Hawks followed up their mini hot streak with a two-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. With a lineup that features Al Harrington and Joe Johnson, the Hawks are proving that, while they certainly won't make the playoffs, they have a chance to be respectable. Johnson and Harrington are joined by a talented young cast featuring Salim Stoudamire, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Josh Childress. While the Hawks don't appear to be a version of the 2004-2005 Chicago Bulls, a team that went from 0-9 to the third best record in the Eastern Conference, they might be able to achieve respectability, especially if the highly-touted Williams starts to develop.

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News

Alex Sherman | Editorial Cartoon

November 29

11/30/05

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